Standing Before Love (Myra and Sean) novel Chapter 525

Nevertheless, Heather would never wash her hands off the Langston Group, and she knew where her duties lay without Robert having to emphasize on them. That being said, Blake had nothing to do with her resolve. She was dedicated to the company, and protecting it was something she would do without question.

“Grandpa, you know how important the Langston Group is to me. I will never let the company fall into a crisis,” she said as she gave him a small smile. Taking care of the company was but one of the ways she could show her gratitude to Robert, who had showered her with unconditional love all these years.

Even as he heard this, a grim look still passed over his face. He had been sullen ever since Caleb came into the scene. Just then, a sudden thought seized Heather. If the Hart Family was also embroiled in the feud between her family and the Moriartys, then she ought to relay to Tony all the information she could glean.

Robert had said that an allegiance with the Hart Family would be a last resort. This could be a turning point and while Heather could see hope in such an opportunity, she could also see that it was prefaced by the possibility of a crisis.

If the Moriartys could make Robert fret over the future of the company, then they were indeed a force to be reckoned with, and they had certainly put in the effort of remaining incognito which explained the many gaps in Leon’s research yesterday.

Her thoughts were clearing up as she sat with Robert in the pavilion, the evening breeze enveloping them in a cool embrace while the sky darkened overhead. She could see that the worried creases in her grandfather’s face were smoothing out, replaced by something like warm affection.

It was a quiet night and they were far away from the rest of the Langstons’ clamor. She breathed in the cool air, grateful for the respite, and she could feel the breeze on her skin as well as tousling her hair.

Robert broke the silence when he suddenly asked, “Do you remember this pavilion?”

Upon hearing this, Heather gazed around the pavilion, but nothing about its architecture rang a bell. Knowing that she would answer in the negative, he broke into a warm smile as he prompted gently, “This is the Old Toper’s Pavilion. Do you still remember it? You were only a child when you told me you wanted to visit the real pavilion so I figured, why not bring the pavilion to the backyard instead?” He looked pleased with himself after having stood guard over her childhood wish all these years.

“That was such a long time ago!” Heather exclaimed in surprise. She didn’t think he would hold something so trivial and forgettable close to his heart, not when her own memory of her childhood days were already fuzzy.

He beamed at her and reached out to ruffle her hair affectionately. “It’s as if you’ve grown up in the blink of an eye,” he remarked plaintively. Sometimes he wished she was still a child; alas, growth was but a necessary part of life.

This was the granddaughter whom Robert had kept close to him all these years. He thought about how his love and care for her had led to the others’ hostility toward her. Unable to stand the inexplicable animosity, she had gathered her bags and left the Langston Residence at a much younger age than one would expect.

Robert felt as if he owed her an apology for having done so little for her as she grew up over the years.

“Grandpa, you’ve been really sentimental lately,” Heather pointed out. She wasn’t used to having her hair ruffled like this, and she thought she had become strong enough to resist physical affection after all these years.

He gazed into the distance before turning his eyes on her once more. “You shouldn’t be dragged into the calamity of the Langstons,” he said grimly. He knew of her contributions to the family these past few years, but the family had given her nothing but trouble in return.

The Langston Family could take no credit for Heather’s accomplishments, and she could very well be on her way to make a name for herself now if she weren’t bound by them. The rest of the Langstons were always so obsessed with whatever scrap of power they held in their hands that they could not see the big picture. All that Heather had done for the family and the company far outweighed what she received in return.

“Don’t say that, Grandpa. Whatever happens in the family is my business too,” she countered and she raised her brows as she gave her grandfather a puzzled look. She didn’t like how somber he sounded.

Robert knew his words made little sense so he did not add anything further. When he saw how serious she looked, he couldn’t help but be relieved.

The breeze was beginning to get chilly as night approached. He had been feeling unwell for the last few days so he could not risk catching a cold now.

Rising from her seat, Heather looked at him solemnly and said, “Grandpa, it’s getting cold. We should head back into the house now.” When she reached for his hand and felt the cool tinge to his skin, she knew that they should hasten indoors.

“There’s no need to rush. You know how noisy the others can be, so why don’t we sit out here for a while longer?” He didn’t want to go back, and Heather knew how stubborn the old man could be.

As such, she sat down patiently next to him. They were both quiet, neither one feeling the need to speak.

She wasn’t sure how much time had passed when he abruptly asked, “Would you like to have a pet, Heather?”

Surprised, she turned to look at him and saw that he was serious about it. Rubbing her temples, she replied ruefully, “I won’t have the time to look after it, Grandpa.” It was true. She was already swamped with work and getting a pet would only be an act of animal cruelty on her part.

He shook his head and chuckled in amusement at her unexpected answer. Truth be told, he was the one who was rather keen on getting a pet. He used to have a dog in his younger days, but he hadn’t had any pets after it was lost.

Now, he had plans on getting a cat but he didn’t trust himself to look after it well enough, which led to him asking Heather the question earlier.

Perhaps he wanted a pet because he was lonely. He wasn’t getting any younger and as days passed, he could feel age settling into his bones and dusting his hair with chalk.

“You’ve been acting strange lately, Grandpa. I’m concerned,” she admitted. She had noticed the change in his demeanor. Gone was the imposing man he used to be, and in his place was a kind and affable elderly gentleman.

“Don’t dwell on it too much. Let’s go back in.” With that, he rose from his seat and marched steadily across the yard, and she trailed after him.